Digital Camera Help

[Dodger Gurl]

OK, so now that I am a newlywed (wahoo!) I have been trying to get nice shots of my set but am having no luck with my current camera (Sony). I need help picking a new camera even though I likely won''t get it until Christmas. Here is what I am looking for:

1. Takes good macro shots.
2. Captures firey colors not just white light.


So, questions:

1. Canon or Nikon or other? I really like the MyColors option on the Canons but it seems nothing catches the sparkley fire of diamonds like the Nikons. ???
2. How do I get a good shot of the arrows?

Thanks for your help!

 

[diamondfan]

Just a suggestion...there is a new Sony, the H2, coming out. It is compact (not flat but not with lenses you attach) and it is 6 mega pix, and has a 12 OPTICAL ZOOM. This is NOT a typo. It has a macro function I think, and has a Carl Zeiss lens and a great movie function as well. You can take pictures one after the other because there is very little delay. It uses rechargeable batteries that I think are interchangeable with regular double A''s...cannot wait for it, I ordered mine and it should be here soon. Check it out.

 

[strmrdr]

there are a ton of new models flooding the market right now its impossible to say what will be available by dec.
The new L line of nikons arent very great.
The other lines are better but more money.

canon has some nice cameras and some cwappy ones.
Stay away from kodak and hp.

 

[Dodger Gurl]

Thanks guys! Storm, do you know when the 2007 models will be rolled out? Do you think the 2006 models'' prices will be lower by Dec? I am eyeing the Nikon P series but waiting in hopes that the price will go down. Alright, you Nikon and Canon owners out there! Show me your pictures that you took with your camera of your blingbling!

 

[Mara]

Dodger, check out my 2.32 thread in SMTR...I think you may have already? Anyway, all of those pictures in there are taken with my new Canon SD550. I just got it about a month ago. It is hands down better than my old Sony, not just in higher MP or zoom but the quality of the pictures and the options that it gives. It also takes WAY BETTER shots of my diamond than my old camera did, just more easily seems to find the arrows and zoom in and this and that.

I wanted a new camera for a while and have always heard RAVE reviews about the Canons, even the lower priced ones supposedly were awesome. While I love taking photos, I don't want a $500 or $800 camera or anything expensive. The reason is that technology is continuously improving so I don't want to 'invest' in anything that will be old news in 2 or 3 years. My old Sony I have had for 3-4 years and it's SO OLD now. So the Canon SD550 was only $300 and it has just been 10000% better than my old camera. And I won't feel bad in another 3 years or so when I want a better camera and pay another $300-400 for 12MP or whatever! I also knew I didn't want a Sony again as I was really not that happy with my old one, and my Dad also got another Sony after I got mine and theirs had all the same 'issues' that mine did. One of my biggest pet peeves with the Sony is that the flash washed out almost everything in night shots...drove me nuts. No matter what level it was on, it was always like a blinding white washed out flash. UGH! It also had a crappy zoom feature and did not have digital macro like my Canon does...digital macro is a MUST for diamond love.

That said, I do love the shots that sunkist took with her Nikon Coolpix of her new K diamond (in RockyTalky)...I am really tempted to get the Coolpix AS WELL as the Canon (because again it's like $275) just for fun but then keep telling myself I don't *need* two cameras...but maybe I can find a way to justify it. Alj also has a Nikon that she has used on our last two trips to WF and it captures amazing fire in the photos and does great with low-lighting shots whereas my Canon does not capture the fire as well as the Nikon BUT my Canon captures white light return better than the Nikon, and it captures a good amount of the fire. My old Sony JUST caught white light return and hardly any fire. So for me I think that the Canon was a great middle ground as I wanted something that caught both fire and white light reasonably well.

Hope this helps somewhat!! You could also always order both of the cameras online aka through Amazon with a great return policy and they have free shipping, try them out for a week and then return the one that doesn't work out for you!

 

[Mara]

Here are three threads that people have started in the last year or so (I started the one in the middle about the Canon when I was looking) re: digital cameras and diamonds are mentioned alot too. hehee...hope it helps!!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/digital-camera-you-love.35099/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/canon-550.43375/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opinions-suggestions-re-digital-camera.41321/

 

[gingerBcookie]

i have nothing to add but i just wated to chime in and LOL cuz only here can you find someone basing they''re next camera purchase on how well it takes diamond shots!

love it!

 

[Gypsy]

Are there any models worth buying for under 200 bucks? Sorry... el cheapo here. I want a tulip button. That''s about it. I have a nice FILM *gasp* cannon rebel, it has a tulip button. Not looking for anything fancy in a digital. Point and shoot. Easy way to turn the flash off. Nothing flashy. Just dependable and takes good pics. A nice zoom (optical, digital... it''s all greek to me) would be nice.

 

[Mara]

Gypsy...I know you said $200 but I'd spend a few bucks more if necessary to get a really good camera you can keep for a few years...I always know that when I thought I wanted something basic, I still used a few of the fun tools when I had them. And if you can get a 7MP or so for $215-250 then that's a much better deal than a 5MP for $200 or similar.

Check out the Canon SD500 on Amazon, it's $249. It's the one right before mine, and it has 99% of the same stuff, they just re-released it with a larger screen and a slightly closer zoom or something and called it the 550 and charged $50 more. I do love my camera!!

Also check out the Nikon Coolpix 7mp:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007KQWE6/sr=8-7/qid=1147927463/ref=pd_bbs_7/102-1423868-1984927?%5Fencoding=UTF8

It's $215! That's a pretty sweet deal and Sunkist has a Nikon CP she has been using for her photos and it's amazing, I don't know if hers is the latest 7mp or less but either way that's a good deal on a definitely amazing camera.

Amazon has free shipping, and be sure to get a memory card like a 1GB..I got mine on Amazon for $25 with a special coupon they had but they are all over the net.

 

[Dodger Gurl]

Hi Mara, no I haven''t been to SMTR in a while. I will go over and check out those pics. That''s funny that you and I both had a Sony and both disliked it for the same reasons. LOL. It does take great video clips, I have to say. I think the quality of the video clips is better with the Sony than the Nikon (haven''t checked out the Canon yet). But man, the macro on the Sony sucks (mine did have macro option but it was worthless) and it''s horrible in low-lighting. Pics are either too dark or you''re right, the flash whitewashes everything. Bleeccchh!! And yes, I love sunkist''s avatar it''s gorgeous. I didn''t know she had a separate thread in Rocky Talky, I will have to go check those out too! Would you happen to know what kind of Nikon alj has? Sunkist has the S1. Thanks for all the nice tips and the links too, you are awesome!

Ginger: you''re back!! Dude, I am SO going over to the bride section to check out your pics. Welcome back, and yes I am basing my camera decision partly on how well it photographs the *precious*. LOL. The other day I was trying to get at least ONE good shot with my Sony (futile, futile attempt - *sigh*) next to the kitchen window where some sun was coming in. I had a nice little setup, I had my set on our white cutting board on top of a box on top of our step stool. When hubby came home he did a double-take at the window and was like, "what the heck??". LMAO!!!

I do like the crispness you get with the Canon, and the MyColors thing is right up my creative alley - I would love to take shots of normal family adventures/outings with the MyColors option. However, I just love the firey goodness

that the Nikons are able to capture. What can I say, I am a firey-sparkley-goodness ho.

lol Although, like Mara I was seriously considering getting BOTH a Canon AND a Nikon. But I just don''t think that would fly with hubby at all. LOL!

 

[ecf8503]

Sony owners: what models do you / did you have? Mine is a DCS P72 from about 3 years ago - 3.2MP. It has the same issues - washes everything out with the flash, and it seems over time the focus isn''t as good as it used to be - both macro and farther away. Also it feels like the shutter delay is getting longer, even when it is "pre-focused". The video is a nice feature, but it is grainey and always dark.

So I too have been looking into a new camera, and have read many positive things about the Canons. A sales guy ("we don''t work on commission") at Best Buy showed me the video on a Canon 600 and it was so much clearer than my Sony. I of course want great diamond pics too, but I am curious how the Canons fare in "regular" life? Do they wash out with the flash? How are the colors in outdoor vs indoor lighting (I think the Sony I have takes awesome outdoor shots!)?

There is a 7MP with a 4x optical zoom Canon (the A620), which although not a flat "drop-it-in-your-purse" size is still small, but has a good feel to it - like there is actually something for me to hold onto so I don''t drop it, it''s cheap ($250 or less - $229 on Amazon the last I looked), and it has Consumer Reports highest praise as well. Does anyone have this one or have an opinion on it?

 

[Mara]

i think that my canon sd550 takes fab outside pictures as well as inside..here's an outside picture on one of my roses with the digital macro.

i did read that the canon sd550 has issues with hand shake in terms of regular photos (not diamonds!)...but that the way to get around that is to put it on 'kids and pets' scene mode and it increases the shutter speed. has semed to work fine for me so far, but i haven't taken a ton of non-diamond shots with it.

but i have been impressed with how it works outside and inside on the digital macro so far. and we took some pictures with flash in TX of people etc that came out fine.

but i do recall that being one of the issues. i read reviews on a few photo sites pretty extensively before deciding on the SD550. i knowthat the A series is similar to the SD's but not quite the same. i'd just make sure that all the bells and whistles you may want are in both cameras, aka a friend has the A520 and she does not have 'digital macro' but the SD500 and SD550 do. so just be sure to compare them all!

oh and my old sony is a cybershot with 4MP i think. it was good for some stuff but not others. i became fairly dissatisfied with it within a year unfortunately!

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 5/18/2006 2:55:24 PM
Author: DodgerGurl

However, I just love the firey goodness

that the Nikons are able to capture. What can I say, I am a firey-sparkley-goodness ho.

I have to say, I'm sticking with Nikon for the same reason.

Here's an option for you: Nikon Coolpix 5600 for $179.99 at Amazon

It does the macro at only 1.6 inches - which is phenominal.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 5/18/2006 3:56:21 PM
Author: aljdewey

Date: 5/18/2006 2:55:24 PM

Author: DodgerGurl

However, I just love the firey goodness

that the Nikons are able to capture. What can I say, I am a firey-sparkley-goodness ho.

I have to say, I''m sticking with Nikon for the same reason.


Here''s an option for you: Nikon Coolpix 5600 for $179.99 at Amazon


It does the macro at only 1.6 inches - which is phenominal.

5600 rocks
they are better than the newer L series that replaced them for diamond shooting the only area the new L series is better is taking pictures of moving objects and worse for everything else.
The L series where built to be low cost and it shows.
Where the coolpix xxxx 4 number series were designed to be good camera''s first and hit price points second.

 

[Dodger Gurl]

Thanks for all the help guys!! And alj thanks for that link! I went ahead and asked hubby and he said I could get it now and not have to wait til December (I guess he saw I was dying to get it. LOL!). Yay!!!! Can''t wait!

 

[ecf8503]

Yay! Which one are you getting?????

 

[Dodger Gurl]

My camera came in the other day and I took it out for a spin. Check out the pics in SMTR!

ECF, I ended up getting the Nikon P2. Gotta love the wireless. I hate messy, cumbersome cords.